Seventeen-year-old Phoenyx
was taken by the aliens who were supposed to save humanity. But Phoenyx didn’t
die. She escaped.

Changed, different. Terrifying.

Now she protects the people
she used to call neighbors and friends, despite the fact that they don’t trust
her. She looks like the aliens—beautiful, strong, and winged. And that’s why
those she protects want her dead.

She doesn’t blame them.

All the while, she’s
searching for Cole, the boy whose arms she was ripped from the night she was
taken. When he shows up at their compound with a new love, everything Phoenyx
has been fighting for is turned on its head, and she has to figure out what
side she’s really on and who she really is before she loses herself completely.

Monday, March 13, 2017

I am so excited about the release of Rana: Teenage Queen by Liza O'Connor. We met because I stupidly signed up for a science fiction thing with her. I don't write science fiction. I had no recollection of even signing up and caused Liza all kinds of problems. She was super cool, though, and wrote a blog post about parallel universes. So yeah, we go way back ;)

This is Liza's newest book baby and I'm so excited for her! Check out all the details below!

Troubles that humans brought to Hope

Not all humans are created equal. In fact, some of us
shouldn’t have been created at all. While most of the colonists who traveled to
their third planet were good people, a few were pure evil. And what is worse,
those evil males’ dominant DNA left no chance of a son or daughter being
anything but evil as well. No matter the pairing, their DNA would dominate all
offspring.

Had the fairies been aware of their existence among
the colonists, they would have destroyed them at once, but many of the evil men
hid their dark souls. However, their clever and ruthless nature enabled them to
become king of their holds, and others to spread out among other holds and took
control of all businesses within a hold. These men called themselves the Black
Mafia.

BLURB

Rana is only sixteen when she becomes queen. Her first challenge is
to quell an internal coup while a massive army storms the gates of her castle.
Her enemies believe her to be a child, but she has powers they’ve never
suspected. She also has great dreams for her people, and she will do whatever is
necessary to make them happen, even marrying a prince she does not want.

EXCERPT

Rana pushed in. “King Allan, I am only slightly knowledgeable about
Firehold. If they lose their army, how will that impact their hold?”

“Can you not get your history lessons later? My father needs his
rest!” Seren snapped.

King Allan stopped his son’s rant. “This decision cannot wait,
Seren. I have ordered my general to kill them all, but Rana’s question gives me
pause. I will tell you more about the hold, but let me talk to my general
first.”

The screen went blank.

“What now!” Seren yelled.

“Your father has placed us on pause,” Ditter explained and pressed
his hand on Seren’s shoulder. “King Allan is alive. Just relax. All is well.”

He then looked at Rana. “Firehold does not have a separate army.
All the men fight, as well as most of the women who are not pregnant or have
babies. Their hold began as a prison where the original colonists sent those
they felt were damaging their chance of survival. Unfortunately, as the number
of inmates grew, the more violent the group became, and in the tenth year of
its existence, they broke free.”

Rana was shocked that her history classes mentioned none of this.

“They immediately attacked the closest holds, since they had
neither food nor water. None of the holds had soldiers back then. Even their
police forces were very small.” His eyes darkened with despair. “Only a few
women survived the invasions, and I’m certain they would have preferred to
die.”

Seren frowned. “Why was I not taught this in history?”

“Because a truce was made with the prisoners that nothing would be
mentioned of their past if they would stop killing. Instead, each hold agreed
to accept twenty of the men into their own, find them work, and ‘reform’ them.”

“Then why is there a Firehold?”

“Because these men did not wish to reform. So they created a new
hold. They are the reason all holds have armies now. They are also the reason
why all holds have corruption within their ranks.” He then smiled at Collins.
“Only your general is very determined to purge the cancer from your holds.”

She appreciated the approbation of her general, but remained
focused on Ditter. “Has any good person ever come from Firehold?”

“No, genetically, they are programmed to prey on the weak.”

When the King returned, his brow was furrowed. “Since it is your
soldiers who prevents the Firehold army from retreating and saving themselves,
you should have a part in the decision I’ve made. So I’ve asked my general to
stop eliminating the Firehold army until I can explain the reason for my
seemingly heartless action.” He closed his eyes a moment and breathed in deep.
“Every year we lose about a hundred good, hardworking men who carry our
crystals to other holds. We also lose the crystal, but the pointless loss of
the men is what angers me the most. Firehold has no reason to kill my drivers.
They are told not to resist if they are held up by thieves. But they die all
the same, in gruesome and painful manners such as having their skin pulled from
their flesh while they are still alive.”

The idea of being alive while someone ripped off her flesh made
Rana tremble in horror.

Seren covered her hand as he spoke. “Father, Rana does not need to
hear this. She is barely a woman.”

“I agree with you, King Allan” Rana spoke, ignoring Seren’s
insulting words. “They should all be eliminated. It will be better for the
prosperity of our holds.”

Liza O’Connor lives in Denville, NJ
with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet
or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ,
hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive
with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky
dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid
gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts.
Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing
novels.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

The story came to be because I was reading my daughters a princess story and the princess had to have a boy help her climb out of a window. I was furious. I was like, this is the role model I'm giving my daughters? I started daydreaming about a girl who did all the saving, who was stronger than the boys, and Ari was born.
1) Shane got his name because that's what I wanted to name Carson but Blair has a cousin named Shane.
2)Charity was my imaginary best friend growing up.
3)Hunter is based on Heath Miller (from the Pittsburgh Steelers), but his attitude is all Blair.
4)Livi is me ;)
5)All the players from the Pittsburgh Steelers make a cameo in the book. Harrison, one of my favorites, is in all the books except maybe Sight. 6)Will's best friend is Hines Ward.
7)Franklin, Ari's step-dad, is named after the turtle Franklin, because my daughter was obsessed with that show when I was writing and I hate it.

Shattered Assassin bonuses! (Spoilers ahead!) So what did you guys think of the twist? Did you see it coming?
1) King William is based on Blair's grandpa, who I absolutely adore. I didn't realize until I was half-way through the story.
2) Nakomi is based on my German Shepherd, Sadie. Sadie was with me when I was 6-8 months pregnant and living alone. She went with me to Texas, then back to Utah, then to Alaska, then back to Utah. She was my best friend and constant companion. She was hit by a truck in front of my parents' house and I couldn't save her.
3) This story was based on a dream I had. I liked that she was tiny and deadly.
4) Shattered Assassin was the 2nd book I ever wrote, after Feudlings. My critique partners told me it was so awful I should throw it away. So I did. But I loved Nakomi too much so I dug it back out and re-wrote it.
5) Benjamin and Crystali are my niece and nephew
6) It isn't directly mentioned, but Kazia has lupus. I re-wrote this as I was being diagnosed with lupus. It helped me to feel more in control of this terrifying disease.
7) I stole the name Kazia from a girl at work. I had just met her. Luke is one of my favorites, and Nakomi and the baby wolf I got by Googling ancient wolf names.

Friday, January 6, 2017

So...it only took me 4 years to finish this series, but it's done and I cried for two months after I wrote "The End". BUT my pretty unicorns are saving the day for the last time...or are they?

Bwahahaha

Anyway! Here is my cover. It's releasing soon and I can't wait!

Blurb:

Fighting a battle you’re certain to lose sucks. Doing it in secret while everyone thinks you’re a traitor sucks worse.

Scout has saved her sister and as promised, Lil Bit has brought Iros an army. An army of innocents. Scout, Trey, Ashra and Torz are in charge of training this child army and making them into mighty warriors. Meanwhile, their parents are still trapped in Aptavaras with no hope of escape.

Until Ariston gives Scout an offer she can’t refuse.

Now, she’s waging an internal war--follow her heart or follow orders? She believes she can save lives and maybe end this war, but everyone else…